Promise Me
by Tsuna 4 Cn4s
Summary: Robin thought that the hardest thing in the world would be to sacrifice herself for her family and friends; she could not have imagined how much more painful it was to finally come home.


**Author's Note: After reading ****_Robin Hood: Outlaws of Sherwood_****, I was trying to fall asleep when this one-shot popped into my head. So I wrote it down and here it is! I hope it is okay, though I don't believe it is my best work; still, not terrible.**

**I would like to dedicate this to ****_BethanRose_**** whose story, ****_In the Wake of an End_****, completely inspired this fanfiction.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to ****_Fire Emblem: Awakening._**

**Edited: 9/04/2013 A huge thank-you to my dear friend and amazing author, ****_Xanedis_****, for his help in making this fanfiction more enjoyable!**

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**Promise Me**

Robin felt as if she were in a dream, or perhaps just barely waking. Her eyes were still half-closed, her vision foggy and she couldn't seem to repress her constant yawns. She was so groggy, she couldn't even manage to walk without stumbling over every little pebble on the road.

She actually did not mind the last part; otherwise, she would have no excuse to let Chrom carry her. How wonderful it was to once again have her husband's strong arms supporting her, wrapped around her body in a secure, comforting way. How she had missed him while she had been away. Though she had no idea where she had gone, she knew for certain that she had missed him.

_And Lucina. And Morgan. And the Shepherds. And Ylisse._ Robin counted them off in her mind. Her family, her friends, her home; but more than anything, at that moment she wanted to simply be reunited with her baby.

Lucina was not yet two months old before Robin had left Ylisstol. Over a year had passed before the confrontation with Grima and then what? How much time had Robin lost while she slept off the last of the Fell-Dragon's influence? She didn't ask, but instead convinced herself it could not have been very long.

"We're home," Chrom whispered, pulling his wife out of her thoughts.

The woman looked up, a weak smile crossing her face as she recognized the elegant, looming figure of Ylisstol Castle. Blue banners, the color of the sea, flapped in the evening breeze. The white washed stone sparkled, as the setting sun's light illuminated it from behind.

"Nothing has changed." She spoke hoarsely.

"And why should it have, silly?" Lissa demanded, trying to sound serious. Her face would not lose its crazy grin. "Chrom wouldn't even let us move a flower pot until you came home!"

"I-I just wanted to make sure you could remember the place," The Exalt stuttered in embarrassment. "I wasn't sure how long you would be gone, or what you would be like when-"

"Chrom," Robin interrupted, placing a warm hand on his cheek. She smiled at him. "Please, I want to see my family."

The man nodded. "Then you shall."

* * *

After the Mad King's War and her marriage to Chrom, Robin and Lissa had worked hard to make sure she could get through the castle fairly easily, or at least not get lost. While she still didn't know every nook and cranny of her regal home, she had memorized all of the main routes, or at least thought she had. For some reason, she couldn't at all metally follow Chrom's steps as he carried her through a confusing maze of hallways and chambers.

_I must be tired._ She decided. Even so, it unnerved her that she had no idea where she was in her own home.

"Why are we taking such a round-about way?" Lissa whined, Robin easily imagining the familiar pout that must have contorted her face.

"Because I don't want any of the servants or Shepherds seeing Robin, yet."

"How come?"

"Can't a man wish to enjoy a private reunion with his wife and family without an entire army crowding in on him?"

"Okay okay! Sheesh, you're tense. But fear not, for I can take a hint; I'll see you two later! Give little Lucy a kiss from me!"

"Lucy?" Robin asked, a few moments after Lissa had gone.

"Yes, we all have taken to calling young Lucina 'Lucy', so that things don't become even more confusing than they already are." The faintest ghost of a smile played at Chrom's lips. "It was Cynthia's idea and it just sort of caught on."

"How is she?"

"Very well; she enjoys helping her mother out with her brood of Pegasi and often comes by to visit-"

"No, not Cynthia - Lucina." Robin interrupted, impatiently.

Chrom's face turned suddenly serious. "She is well." He spoke simply.

"And..?"

"And you shall see her for yourself in a moment."

Robin looked up at her husband's face, wondering what she could have said to so swiftly change his attitude. "Chrom?"

"We're here, shall I put you down?"

The woman said nothing, but slid easily out of his arms. She stood shakily on her feet, the room beginning to spin. Chrom helped her to balance herself and the dizziness quickly passed. She straightened her grass-stained coat and ran nervous fingers through her tangled locks of hair.

_I must look a sight._ She thought with a rueful laugh.

Finally, she composed herself. She slowly reached out to take hold of the knob, her knuckles white from her intense grip. She took a deep breath and threw the door open.

Inside was a spacious nursery. The fine wood floor was clean and well-polished, with a soft tapestry and rug in the center. Shelves full of books and toys lined the beautifully painted walls, most of them with conspicuous holes in their collections. Several of the missing articles lay scattered across the floor, used to create houses, boats, mountains and other obstacles for the toy people. A large slate stood on an easle in front of one window. A little girl sat crosslegged before it, listening and smiling as a young brunette slowly went over the elegant letters written in chalk.

When the door opened, both of them turned around.

"R-R-Robin?" The woman whispered, her eyes widening in disbelief.

"Hello, Sumia." Robin greeted her best friend with a warm smile. "How are the Pegasi?"

"How are the-! Robin, you're alive!" The knight tackled the other woman in a hug, tears spilling from her bright eyes. "Oh, Robin, how I have prayed you would come home! This is... is amazing!"

Robin laughed softly, allowing herself to bask in the familiar warmth of her friend's embrace. A flood of memories flashed before her eyes, images of the danger, laughter and sorrow the girls had shared in past days. As she pulled away a few moments later, Robin's own grey eyes shone with unshed tears.

"Thank you, Sumia, but if you would excuse me, there is another person I still need to greet." Robin reluctantly disentangled herself from her friend, and walked slowly into the room.

The little girl stood up to face her. She was tall and thin, her thick blue hair brushed neatly into a long braid down her back. She wore a light white dress, with a cream colored tunic on top. Her blue eyes were large and curious, also the slightest bit suspicious looking, as they gazed unblinkingly upon the stranger in her play room.

Robin felt her heart skip several beats. Despite how tall she had gotten, despite how much she had grown, despite the total lack of familiarity in her hard face, who else could the child be but her own daughter? Her own baby girl?

"Hello there," She spoke gently, surprised at how calm her voice sounded. She bent down so that she was on eye-level with the little girl. "You are Lucy, aren't you?" Lucina nodded. "It's so nice to see you, Lucy. I am your mother."

"No you're not." The little girl replied immediately, her voice casual and matter-of-fact. "My mother died. She died four years ago, because she was a hero. Now my mother is Sumia; I want her to be my mother." She pointed at the pale woman, who was clinging to the door frame for support.

Robin simply stared at her. For several minutes, she could say nothing. She tried to speak, but nothing would come out. She tried to think but her thoughts, for once, did not make sense. She tried to scream, but to no avail.

Lucina just continued to meet her gaze, never backing away or showing any sign of remorse for her words. Chrom and Sumia seemed to be in shock, for they made no sound.

"Lucina," Robin finally managed, hoarsely. She ran her tongue over her dry lips, trying to strengthen her voice. "I... You are right. Your mother did die, years ago, trying to be a hero. Your heroic mother did die, then, but a part of her only fell asleep."

"Asleep?" The child repeated slowly, settling back down into her cross-legged position. Obviously, Robin had caught her attention.

"Yes, a part of your mother that still didn't want to die, because she knew she would miss her family and friends too much. So this part of her only fell asleep. She slept for a very long time-"

"Four years." Lucina put in hastily.

"Yes, four years. Four years of dreaming about her loving husband and strong children, but most of her dreams were about the baby girl she had left behind. She thought about her daughter more than anyone else, because she felt so sad that she didn't get a chance to say goodbye." Robin's voice cracked, suddenly, surprising the three who were lost in her story. She cleared her throat impatiently and began again.

"She knew she had been a terrible mother, because she had promised her husband that she wouldn't let anything happen to her, so that she would be there for her little girl. But she had broken that promise, and so she was very angry at herself. She hated herself and wished there was something she could do to right her sin."

"Was there?" Lucina asked breathlessly.

"No, there wasn't. And your mother knew it, too. There was nothing she could do to make up for the four years she slept, while leaving her husband and children and baby girl all alone. Eventually, though, she stopped hating herself and just felt very sad and sorry. She cried everyday and every night; no longer did she had time for dreaming and wishing, for instead she could only cry.

"One day, though, she realized she had to stop. Simply crying wouldn't help her or her family. So she dried her eyes and decided she had to wake up. It wasn't at all easy, but she kept thinking about her baby girl, all alone without a mother, and tried very hard."

"And she woke up!" Sumia exclaimed excitedly. She immediately began to apologize, but Robin didn't even seem to notice.

"Yes, she woke up. And do you know what the first thing she saw was?"

"What?" Lucina demanded.

"Her husband's smile. Suddenly, everything felt better; she didn't feel so sad anymore, because she knew that he forgave her. And if he would forgive her, she thought, then so would her children. But there was one person whom she was afraid to ask for forgiveness - her baby girl."

"How come?"

"Because, she had been only a very young baby when her mother had left. She probably didn't even remember her. Why should she forgive her? Why shouldn't she want a new mother, one who wouldn't leave her alone to become a hero?"

"Because she loves her!" Lucina shot bolt up, her eyes flashing with anger and tears. "Her mother loves her and the baby girl should love her back so she won't cry again or go to sleep again because she _needs_ her!"

Robin smiled, silent tears beginning to trickle down her own flushed cheeks. "Lucina... Lucy... Will you-"

The little girl threw herself at her mother, wrapping her small arms around her neck so tightly, as if she would never let go. "Mama! Mama!"

Robin brought her onto her lap, hugging her and crying and laughing and shouting inaudible exclamations of praise and gratitude. Her heart swelled with hope, with love. "Lucina, I'm sorry! I won't ever leave you again!"

"D-do you promise?"

"I promise." And this promise, Robin was bound to keep.

* * *

**Ending Note: I think a bit of ****_Gone2GroundEX's_**** influence became wrapped up in this piece; every time I wrote "asleep" I couldn't help thinking of Cam!**

**Thank you for reading! And a special thanks to all those who favorited and reviewed!**


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